


Seek First

by theeverdream



Series: November 2016 [5]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Artifacts, Gen, Translating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 02:41:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8472394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theeverdream/pseuds/theeverdream
Summary: Daniel attempts to understand a frustrating artifact.





	

_Seek first to understand, then be understood._

It was a good rule to follow, Daniel thought.

But in this instance, trying to understand just... wasn't working.

The Sudons they'd recently visited had taken one look at SG-1, produced a tablet from somewhere, shoved it at Jack, and told them to get off the planet and please not come back until they understood the tablet.

The Sudons' planet had naquadah, so Daniel was doing everything he could to translate the marks on the tablet. But it was completely unlike any language he'd encountered. With no basis to draw on, he was trying to look for patterns within the marks, but he'd had no luck. He was starting to think that he needed to outsource this to a cryptographer, or that maybe there was some meta meaning to the tablet, like there might be no meaning to the marks at all and that in itself was meaningful.... 

Daniel was mentally tired at this point, and his thoughts were unfocused. So he wasn't as startled as he normally was when Jack entered his doorway asking about lunch.

Jack seemed surprised at how quickly Daniel abandoned his work. "I don't have to nag today? Sweet."

"Not really, Jack. I'm distracted because this tablet... it's not making any sense."

"You'll figure it out," Jack said, without an ounce of doubt. 

"I hope so," said Daniel, walking side by side with Jack toward the mess hall, thankful for someone's faith when he was lacking his own.


End file.
